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Coffee cake brightens any morning
On a chilly spring day, a coffee cake is an easy sell, even to the would-be baker. Warm, spicy, and sweet, it's the perfect antidote.
In a larger sense, coffee cakes promote visiting, generosity and kindly feelings. Want a friendlier relationship with your neighbors (even if it's only so they'll bring in the mail, water your plants, and watch for burglars when you're out of town)? Bake a coffee cake and invite them over for a nibble and a cuppa. Want to give your kids an excuse to hang around the kitchen (with you) instead of attaching their brains, leechlike, to a video game console? Bake a coffee cake as a substitute addiction. Want your spouse to build some shelves, clean the bathroom or drop off the recycling? Promise a coffee cake.
While most tea- and coffee-drinking societies always have served treats alongside those steaming cups and mugs, 1950s-American-housewife culture is credited with the creation of the coffee cake.
Easy enough to make on a whim, yet tasty enough to serve to friends, quick breads will keep at room temperature, loosely covered, for two to three days, according to Lou Seibert Pappas in her new book, Coffee Cakes: Simple, Sweet, and Savory.
Almost all coffee cakes freeze well for up to one month, according to Mr. Pappas. Let them cool to room temperature, then freeze them in resealable, heavy-duty plastic freezer bags. (You can also slice the cake first, then freeze individual slices to defrost and toast for breakfast as needed, or microwave briefly while still frozen. Don't microwave too long, though, or the slice will toughen.)
To defrost, you should let the coffee cake stand at room temperature fully wrapped but with the wrapping loosened a bit to let moisture out, according to Pappas. When thawed, reheat in a preheated 350-degree oven for 10 to 15 minutes, depending on the size of the cake.
Toasty sweet macadamia nuts and cinnamon sugar top this flavorful banana cake laced with flaky coconut. It is especially moist. Select well-ripened (black-speckled) sugar-sweet bananas for best flavor.
Banana, Macadamia Nut, and Coconut Coffee Cake
- 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
- 1 1/4 cups mashed bananas (about 2 1/2 large ripe bananas)
- 2 large eggs
- 1/3 cup extra- virgin olive oil (choose a buttery, mild one) or canola oil
- 2 tablespoons dark rum or amaretto liqueur
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup sweetened flaked coconut
- 1/2 cup (1 1/2 ounces) chopped macadamia nuts or pecan halves
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar mixed with 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 9-inch springform pan or round cake pan.
In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and brown sugar. Stir to blend.
In a blender or food processor, combine the bananas, eggs, oil, rum or amaretto, sour cream, and vanilla, and blend until smooth. Add the banana mixture to the dry ingredients and beat until smooth. Stir in the coconut.
Spread evenly in the prepared pan and sprinkle evenly with the nuts. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar evenly over the batter.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the cake is golden-brown and a cake tester or knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
Let cool in the pan on a wire rack, then remove the pan sides. Serve warm or at room temperature after cutting into wedges.
Makes one 9-inch cake; serves 10.
Apple-Walnut Mosaic Coffee Cake
This cake keeps nicely for 4 to 5 days when refrigerated.
- 1 1/4 cups walnuts or pecans, coarsely chopped
- 1 cup whole- wheat flour
- 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
- 2 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
- 2/3 cup canola oil, or 1/3 cup walnut oil and 1/3 cup canola oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 5 large Gala, Granny Smith, Winesap, or other tart apples, peeled, cored, and diced (about 6 cups)
- 1 1/4 cups dried cranberries
- Confectioners' sugar for dusting (optional)
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 10-inch tube pan.
Place the nuts on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until lightly toasted. Let cool.
In a small bowl, combine the whole-wheat and all-purpose flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and allspice. Stir well to blend. In a large bowl, combine eggs, brown sugar, oil and vanilla and beat with a whisk or an electric mixer until smooth. Stir in the flour mixture just until blended. Stir in the apples, cranberries and toasted nuts. The batter will be stiff. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan.
Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and 5 or 10 minutes, or until cake is richly browned and a cake tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then unmold right side up on a wire rack. If desired, dust the cake with confectioners' sugar shaken through a sieve. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature, cut into slices.
Makes one 10-inch tube cake, serves 12 to 16.
Cranberry-Oatmeal-Walnut Cake
Scarlet berries dot this healthful cake that is loaded with toasted oatmeal and walnuts.- 1 1/2 cups quick- cooking or old-fashioned rolled oats
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup firmly packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup canola oil
- 1 1/2 cups buttermilk or low-fat plain yogurt
- 1/4 cup dark molasses
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 cup whole- wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
- 1/2 cup (2 ounces) chopped walnuts, pecans or toasted and skinned hazelnuts
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 9-by-13-inch baking pan.
Spread the oats in a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until lightly toasted. Let cool.
In a large bowl, beat the eggs, brown sugar, and oil together until blended and stir in the buttermilk or yogurt, molasses, and vanilla. In a medium bowl, combine the flours, toasted oats, baking soda, baking powder, salt and 1 teaspoon of the cinnamon. Stir to blend. Add dry ingredients to buttermilk mixture and beat for about 1 minute, or until smooth. Stir in the cranberries. Spread in the prepared pan. Toss the nuts and remaining 1 teaspoon cinnamon together and sprinkle evenly over the top.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the cake is golden-brown and a cake tester or knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack. Serve warm, cut into squares or strips.
Muffin variation: Using an ice-cream scoop, scoop out mounds of batter and drop into large (2 3/4 inches in diameter) paper-lined muffin cups. Bake in a preheated 375-degree oven for 20 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.
Yield: 12 large muffins.
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